School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy Department of Social Work

University of Memphis

School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy Department of Social Work

Steve Soifer, PhD, MSW

Chair, Department of Social Work 226 McCord Hall

Memphis, TN 38152

The University of Memphis, a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, offers equal opportunity to all persons without regard to race, religion, sex, creed, color, national origin or disability. The University does not discriminate on these bases in recruitment and admission of students or in the operation of its programs and activities, as specified by federal laws and regulations. Designated coordinators for University compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Equal Opportunity Compliance Officer. Information in this document will be provided in alternate format upon request.

The University of Memphis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University. It is committed to education of a non-­‐racially identifiable student body.

The University of Memphis is one of 45 institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents system, the seventh largest system of higher education in the nation. The TBR is the governing board for this system, which comprises six universities, 13 community colleges and 26 area technology centers. The TBR system enrolls more than 80 percent of all Tennessee students attending public institutions of higher education.

Field Manual

Bachelor of Social Work Program Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………. 06 Mission and Purpose …………………………………………………………………………….. 06 University of Memphis ……………………………………………………………….. 06 College of Arts and Sciences ……………………………………………………….. 06 School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy …………………………………… 06 Department of Social Work ………………………………………………………… 07 Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Program …………………………………… 07 Purpose of the Social Work Profession ………………………………………. 08 Purpose of Field Placement ……………………………………………………….. 09 Program Description ……………………………………………………………………………. 10 Competencies ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 12

Course Requirements ………………………………………………………………………….. 18 Grading ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19

DCS Title IV-E Stipend Program…………………………………………………………… 19

Policies and Procedures ……………………………………………………………………… 20 Block Placement ……………………………………………………………………….. 21 Selection of Practicum Agency ……………………………………………………23 Selection of the Field Instructor ………………………………………………….23 Acceptance and Placement of Students in Field Practice …………… 23 Preparing for Agency Interview ………………………………………………… 24 Interview …………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Agency Reassignment Process …………………………………………………… 25 Night and Weekend Placement ………………………………………………….. 25

Use of Job as Practicum Site ……………………………………………………….. 26 Roles and Responsibilities in Field Education ………………………………………. 26 Department of Social Work ………………………………………………………… 27 Director of Field Placement ………………………………………………………… 27 Faculty Liaison ……………………………………………………………………………. 29

Field Instructor …………………………………………………………………………… 30 Evaluation …………………………………………………………………………………….32 Student …………………………………………………………………………………………32 Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Program Guidelines for Conduct …………..35 Academic Conduct ………………………………………………………………………. 35 Professional Behavior ………………………………………………………………… 36

Student Grievance Procedures …………………………………………………… 38 Ethical Conduct ……………………………………………………………………………40 Professional Boundaries ……………………………………………………………..41 Sexual and Racial Harassment ……………………………………………………………….41 Felony/Misdemeanor Convictions ………………………………………………………….41 Privacy Rights of Students ………………………………………………………………………42 Communication ………………………………………………………………………………………42 Holidays ………………………………………………………………………………………………….43 Transportation ……………………………………………………………………………………….43 Financial Remuneration ………………………………………………………………………….43

Disability Services ………………………………………………………………………………….43 Equal Opportunity …………………………………………………………………………………..44

Introduction

The Baccalaureate Social Work Program at the University of Memphis was begun in 1968. It was initially accredited in 1974 by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and has enjoyed accredited status since that time. Early educational efforts focused on preparing baccalaureate level social workers for employment in public social service agencies, particularly the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Over the years, agencies and programs that employ entry level professionals have expanded to include not only public agencies but also nonprofit and for-­‐ profit agencies and programs. Hence the Department of Social Work has developed working relationships with a variety of public, quasi-­‐public, and private agencies and programs that provide a variety of services to diverse client systems.

Mission and Purpose

Mission Statement of the University of Memphis

The University of Memphis is a doctoral degree-­‐granting urban research university committed to excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; in the discovery and dissemination of knowledge; in service to the metropolitan community, the state, and the nation; and in preparation of a diverse student population for successful careers and meaningful participation in a global society. The University of Memphis remains committed to the education of a non-­‐racially identifiable student body and promotes diversity and access without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.

Mission Statement of the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum to equip its students in pursuing rich personal and professional lives. It is dedicated to providing educational opportunities that broaden student knowledge within the major areas of human study, in-­‐depth understanding of at least one area of inquiry, and the skills and abilities necessary for a lifetime of learning, career success, and participatory citizenship.

Mission Statement of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy

The School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy (SUAPP) links existing units within the College of Arts and Sciences to create alliances that focus on urban and regional problems and creates an interdisciplinary body of knowledge. SUAPP’s academic programs and research centers prepare individuals to assume community leadership roles; provide assistance with issues confronting communities; and emphasize community oriented, multidisciplinary research within a global perspective.

Mission Statement of the Department of Social Work

The Department of Social Work is committed to the mission of the University of Memphis, a learner-­‐centered metropolitan research university providing high quality educational experiences while pursuing new knowledge through research, artistic expression, and interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship. Within this context, the mission of the Department of Social Work is to transmit, develop, critically examine, and apply knowledge to advance social work practice and social welfare policy in order to promote social, cultural and economic justice for the betterment of poor, vulnerable, and oppressed individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, and society. The Department accomplishes this by preparing ethical and competent social work practitioners, conducting engaged scholarship, and by providing innovative leadership and service to the community and the profession.

The Department of Social Work provides a social work education program that prepares undergraduate and graduate students for professional social work practice. The educational goals of the Department are accomplished by providing a high-­‐quality, comprehensive, learner-­‐ centered educational experience focused on fostering critical thinking and lifelong learning.

The Department of Social Work is committed to promoting the strengths of diversity through education, research, and service, while maintaining a particular focus on the needs of the city of Memphis and the surrounding communities. The faculty, staff and students conduct engaged scholarship and community outreach to enhance the quality of life for people in the Mid-­‐South region and throughout Tennessee, with particular concern for improving life conditions, addressing social injustice, and serving economically-­‐disadvantaged groups. Central to this mission is the creation of a culture that encourages evidence-­‐based practice throughout the social work community so as to build the capacity to apply research to practice, the ability to assess and evaluate practice and policy effectiveness, and the competence to disseminate new knowledge as a means of guiding policy and practice. The mission of the Department of Social Work is undertaken with a commitment to social work’s professional code of ethics and the values of the profession.

Mission Statement for the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Degree Program

The mission of the Bachelor of Arts degree in social work is to prepare students for entrance into the profession of social work as beginning level generalist practitioners. Generalist practice is viewed as an understanding of, and ability to, work with client systems of varying sizes including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a diverse society. The program fosters ongoing professional development and prepares students as critical thinkers who seek solutions to contemporary social problems with special emphasis on those related to urban areas.

Purpose of the Social Work Profession

The social work profession receives its sanction from public and private auspices and is the primary profession in the development, provision, and evaluation of social services.

Professional social workers are leaders in a variety of organizational settings and service delivery systems within a global context. The profession of social work is based on the values of service, social and economic justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence in practice. With these values as defining principles, the purposes of social work are:

1. To enhance human well-­‐being and alleviate poverty, oppression, and other forms of social injustice;

2. To enhance the social functioning and interactions of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities by involving them in accomplishing goals, developing resources, and preventing and alleviating distress;

3. To formulate and implement social policies, services, and programs that meet basic human needs and support the development of human capacities;

4. To pursue policies, services, and resources through advocacy and social or political actions that promote social and economic justice;

5. To develop and use research, knowledge, and skills that advance social work practice;

6. To develop and apply practice in the context of diverse cultures.

Purpose of Field Placement

The undergraduate field social work program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to test, through practical experience, the knowledge and skills acquired in academic courses. The social work program at the University of Memphis focuses on multilevel interventions including those with micro systems (individual and couples), mezzo systems (families and groups), and macro systems (organizations, institutions, communities, regions, and nations). The program defines generalist social work practice as a comprehensive orientation to all client problems, and a comprehensive approach to the range of client systems. Generalist social work practitioners must be prepared to intervene in all the systems that are involved in clients’ problems.

Field practicum is an important component of the social work degree program and is designed to help students integrate their academic learning so as to understand and develop good generalist skills for entering the profession of social work. A field practicum provides opportunities for the student to apply concepts and skills learned in the classroom in a real-­‐ world work setting and to build a work history of relevant experience that will assist the student in beginning her/his social work career.

Field practicum provides students with opportunities for supervised hands-­‐on experience with client groups ranging in size from the individual to communities. These groups should include persons who differ from the students in as many ways as possible, with an emphasis on helping students learn to work with those who differ by race, ethnicity, and gender. Other groups represented in the agency clientele include those who differ by age; sexual orientation; mental, intellectual, or physical abilities; and/or socio-­‐economic status. In working with these groups, the student is encouraged to learn to apply, and adhere to, the following social work values:

a) Dignity of the individual;

b) Confidentiality;

c) Client self-­‐determination;

d) Non-­‐judgmental attitude of worker;

e) Identification with social work as a profession;

f) Value of human diversity;

g) Respect for colleagues;

h) Objectivity in the professional relationship.

The field practicum experience provides an opportunity for the student to integrate theoretical knowledge in the areas of social welfare policy and services, research, human behavior and the social environment, and social work methods. It also involves the development of skills in applying this integrated knowledge in such a manner as to incorporate the values and ethics of the social work profession in the student’s provision of service.

The field practicum is based on the understanding that the entry level social work practitioner requires knowledge and skills that enable him/her to assess and intervene in ways that are ethical and effective in helping transform systems that fail to sustain or promote the well-­‐being of the client. Students in the practicum are expected to apply the professional foundation in ways that demonstrate a beginning understanding of social work values and ethics and their implications. They are expected to:

1. Articulate basic social work concepts, roles, processes and methods for working with individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and communities within a generalist approach to practice;

2. Apply knowledge of the generalist approach and a systemic perspective of practice to problem-­‐solving with systems of various sizes and diversity;

3. Demonstrate appropriate analytical and interactional skills in carrying out each phase of a problem-­‐solving process with clients, using an ecological systems framework for identifying problems and planning interventions at micro, mezzo, and macro levels as required;

4. Reflect use of social work values and ethics in work with client systems, colleagues, organizations and others involved in the change efforts, particularly in maintaining confidentiality and rights to self-­‐determination, and in respecting the uniqueness, worth, and dignity of individuals, and in accepting and respecting human diversity;

5. Demonstrate understanding, sensitivity, and respect for socio-­‐cultural differences in working with gender differences, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of all socio-­‐ economic groups, and differences regarding sexual orientation;

6. Assume appropriate direct practitioner roles in contributing to the policy process for monitoring and improving the service delivery system in which they function;

7. Identify strengths and limitations in their knowledge, values, and skills from regular feedback of the field instructor, peers, and faculty liaison;

8. Develop competence in oral and in written communication;

9. Develop beginning skills in assessing the effectiveness of interventions with various systems.

Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Program Description

Requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program include:

1. Students admitted to the university who express an interest in majoring in social work are admitted as pre social work (PSWK) majors) and remain so until they have completed both SWRK 2010 and SWRK 2911 with at least a grade of C-­‐.

2. Completion of at least 30 hours of course work including ENGL 1020, ANTH 1200, and two courses from the following list: SOCI 1010; PSYC 1030; POLS 1030; or ECON 2020 before entering the introductory social work courses, SWRK 2010 and SWRK 2911.

3. Completion of Social Work 2010 and 2911 and six additional hours in required social work prerequisite courses.

4. Completion of the Department of Social Work Information Form.

5. Identified potential and suitability for the social work profession.

6. Completion of 30 clock hours as a volunteer in one or more social service agencies.

7. Removal of grade of D or below in required social work courses prior to admission.